‘Belle!’ someone shouted, prompting Blackmane to reach for his sword. He relaxed when Everard ran into sight, heading straight for his sister.

‘Where is he?’ the boy demanded. ‘What did that bastard do to you?’

Isabel reached up to touch his face. ‘It is all right. It is over. He is dead.’

Everard looked around, breathing hard. ‘I will kill him myself if he is not.’

Isabel attempted to soothe him while coughing into her hand.

‘Where are the others?’ Blackmane asked.

‘With Tolly.’ His face was pinched with anger. ‘These men just appeared out of nowhere, knocking Rabbit unconscious and me to the ground. All we had to defend ourselves with was wooden swords.’

‘Is she all right?’ Ita called through the dark.

‘She’s over here,’ Everard shouted back.

Ita and Gwenore appeared through the dark, rushing over to Isabel.

‘Thank God,’ Ita said. ‘Where is he? I’m going to kill him with my bare hands.’

Everard looked in the direction of the house. ‘Apparently we’re too late.’

Gwenore wrapped her arms around Isabel. ‘Oh, darling girl. You reek of smoke. What happened?’

That had Everard marching off towards the house. ‘I am going to make sure he is properly dead.’

‘He’s definitely dead,’ Blackmane said, only to be ignored. ‘But throw some water on the stove, would you?’

‘I’ll go with him,’ Ita said, following the boy.

Gwenore smoothed Isabel’s hair back from her face. ‘I am so sorry. These men appeared in the forest, pointing weapons at us.’ She pressed her lips together. ‘Did he hurt you?’

Isabel shook her head. ‘No, I am just a little dizzy from all the smoke.’

Blackmane stood back and let her mother fuss over her while he calculated the mental damage done by the dead lord inside. ‘How did you all get away?’

Gwenore looked up at him. ‘Tolly showed up with some of his men. He is on his way with the Rabbit.’

‘It is just Rabbit, Mother,’ Isabel said, ‘not the Rabbit.’

‘How am I to know the correct format for such a nonsense name?’

Blackmane went to collect his horse, spotting Tolly in the distance as he did so. His brother emerged from the trees on foot, Rabbit sitting atop his horse with a blood-streaked face. Blackmane headed towards them.

‘You’re upright, so that’s a good sign,’ he said to Rabbit.

Rabbit muttered a string of curse words as he dismounted the gelding.

Tolly nodded in Isabel’s direction. ‘A well-timed arrival by you, I see.’

‘Likewise.’ The gratitude Blackmane felt for his hero of a brother was overwhelming.

‘Where is he?’ Tolly asked.

Blackmane did not have to ask who he was talking about. ‘The kitchen.’

‘Dead?’

A nod.

‘I’ll take care of it.’ He walked over to Rabbit and dragged his arm around his shoulders. ‘Let’s go get you cleaned up.’